The Contemporary Collection
Rolls-Royce Phantom
Yohan’s love for cars sporting the Spirit of Ecstasy on their iconic hexagonal vertical radiator grilles isn’t limited to those belonging to the bygone era. So far as the scion of the Poonawalla family is concerned, cars made by Rolls-Royce are simply the best in the world. His views are strongly emphasised by the fact that his garage has far more Rolls-Royces, new and old, than any other automotive brand in the world, including his two very modern Phantoms.
Embodying a timeless elegance, the Phantom was the first car to be rolled out by the British icon after ownership went to BMW. The car’s lightweight aluminium space-frame is hand-welded from over 500 individual parts with over 100 metres of welding. To ensure the classic ‘magic carpet ride’ experience, these Rolls-Royces employ state-of-the-art suspension technologies working in combination with smooth power delivery and an air cushion system.
Power comes from a 6.8-litre V12 engine featuring petrol direct injection. Speaking of power, the 460 PS and 720 Nm of torque are transferred to the rear wheels using an eight-speed automatic transmission. Interestingly, these cars don’t have a traditional tachometer. Instead there is a helpful Power Reserve counter that indicates how much more can be extracted from the engine at the dab of the throttle. In fact, as much as 75 per cent of that staggering amount of torque is delivered at just 1,000 RPM, barely more than engine tick-over revs.
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